Shradha was tired and lifeless after her little chat with Mrinal. She thought talking to someone would help her but she realised that it only made things worse. Escaping her lonely bubble felt like work and it was stressful. To clear things off, she tried making herself busy by cooking.

When she was called down for dinner, she rejected kindly as she wanted to eat something she made at their part of the kitchen. It was just an excuse to avoid anymore faces in the family. She wasn't ready to face them yet again. She was kidnapped and that kidnapping had caused a lot of damage to the house. She was in a way a reason for it and she didn't want anymore judgemental stares or reality checks like she got from Mrinal that morning.

Her mother-in-law must have got the memo as she didn't press further or force her downstairs for dinner like she did most of the time. They all simply left her alone.

"They all must have realised that I'm no use to this family." She said to herself while laughing at herself with pity.

"Who said that?" The voice of her husband from behind her made her drop the spatula with which she was stirring the soup. Shradha turned around startled.

Aditya stepped into the kitchen and scanned her from top to bottom while passing a look to the dishes that were in the making behind her on the stove.

He was dressed in a simple black shirt and pants, with combat boots. Gun holsters were strapped to his chest and there was a knife peaking up from his belt. She could see a smear of red by his wrist, like he had tried to rub it off but failed.
Has he killed tonight?

Anxiety twisted in her stomach.

'Lay down and pray that you get pregnant!'

Aditya began striding forward, tearing her attention back to him. He paused by the kitchen counter and once again eyed the food she was cooking. "Who said that?"

He asked the same question again and for a moment Shradha forgot the context. "Huh?"

"Who said that you are no use to this family?"

Shradha stared at him for a brief second and then sighed turning around to focus back on her dishes. They were done so she switched the stove off and began stirring one last time.

"No one did. I was just saying it to myself." Shradha did not realise that he was right behind her, until she felt his hot breath against her neck. She stiffened almost immediately at the contact of his hands on her bare stomach. She cursed herself for wearing a saree then but it was a Monday and she had thought her mother in law would call her for yet another meeting but she didn't.

"What makes you think so, my wife?" Shradha shuddered as his hands moved up to explore the curve of her breasts.

"Please. . .please stop." She managed to whisper out while wriggling out of his hold. He was holding her with the same hands that had the blood of another man.

He took a step back.

"Have you eaten?"

"No but I'm starving." He said with a glint of mischievnous that Shradha chose to ignore for her own good. Mrinal's words were fucking up her mind.

"Would you like some now or are you going to wash up first?" She asked eyeing once again at the smear of blood on his white shirt. He noticed her looking at it and raised his hands up and let out a laugh.

"Are you scared?" Tonight he was interacting too much that Shradha got suspicious. What had happened to him?

"Yes." She replied with no hesitation while taking out the plates to serve. She expected him to say something to mock her or laugh at her, but instead he walked to the room probably to freshen up.

Sighing Shradha served two plates putting them on the table, and sat on the stool waiting patiently for him to arrive. After a few minutes, he came straight out of a shower, dressed in nothing but his sweatpants. Shradha noticed a new scar on his midrib. A fresh wound where the blood was still not dried. She didn't ask what happened. It was private business and she was told to stay out of it.

They ate quietly with no words exchanged. His presence made it very difficult for her to eat without feeling like he might turn around and choke her to death if the mood hit him. Heat radiated from him and she swore she could smell, beneath his shower gel, the metallic tinge of blood even though he had washed off. Guess the smell of blood stayed even if you tried washing it off.

"Good." Was all he said as he finished eating. Shradha watched as he stood up with his plate and stacked them into the dishwasher before disappearing back to the room, not bothering to hear her 'thank you' in return for the bland compliment he just gave.

After cleaning up the counter, Shradha hesitantly went to their room. As she opened the door, the lights were off, so she assumed he must have slept, but looking over to the bed, she didn't find him. Her eyes immediately trail to the glass windows that led to the balcony. From outside, through the street lights, she saw smoke rising up. He was smoking by the balcony.

It was not an unusual habit for him, but Shradha knew that whenever he did smoke, it was when he had a bad day. And getting on his wrong side on one of his bad days was the last thing on her list. So she silently troed towards the closet to fetch her nightgown.

Once she was out of the shower, she still didn't find Aditya inside the room. He was still outside smoking. It was almost an hour since he had been smoking and that induced a slight worry in her. But it was not her business once again. So she gently moved to the bed, careful not to make her footsteps known.

But unluckiness was her sibling because as she moved, his voice called out from the balcony. "Shradha." He took a huge puff and blew it away before continuing, "Why don't you join me here. The sky is beautiful tonight."

Shradha moved, her steps calculated and precise, as if she wanted to go and not at the same time. Something about his calling excited her. For what? She didn't know.

She slid the glass doors and stepped into the balcony where he leaned against the railings. The sky was indeed beautiful with stars shimmering down at them. The road wasn't as busy as it usually was at this time and considering that it was past midnight, it made sense.

He passed her a look over his shoulders and extended his left arm open, directing her to come take her shelter there. She didn't know how to react as she stayed rooted behind him until he demanded, "Come here."

She padded towards him, and as soon as she was by his side, he side hugged her with one arm crashing her on to his body while his other hand held the cigarette stuck. The April winds were chilly and  the silk night gown she wore did little to protect her from the cold but his embrace and his heart wrapped her like a cocoon that she found herself relaxing into his body.

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke. He inhaled puffs and blew out the smoke while Shradha was trying very hard not to melt under the heat of his body. She could already feel the desire building up her lower abdomen and her nipples perked up. She wanted to believe that it was just because it was cold outside but she knew that it was the biggest lie. Her body was betraying her. It always whenever he touched her.

In that moment of solace and desire she remembered crying to her father once for always being left alone with the maids of the house. Her mother was around but she was always in her room and her father was always away with work. She wasn't allowed to school outside and have friends. She did not even have a sibling to interact with. She was all alone in that big house.

Even now it didn't change much, but the presence right next to her made her at ease. At least someone wanted her presence even if it was for his selfish reasons.

"What are you thinking?" His question cut through the silence and she stiffened up immediately which made him hold her even closer.

When silence greeted him, Aditya turned his head down to his wife who was busy staring at the street light. He wanted her attention to be on him, so he hoisted her up from her feet and sat her down on the railing of the balcony, forcing her to face him.

She stared at him horror and shock, her gown lifted up which made her thighs exposed to the cold metallic railing and left her ass hanging. She clutched his arms for support holding on for her dear life as she knew if she let go, she would fall off and meet her death that night.

Suddenly it hit her.

"Are you going to push me down to my death?"

At that question, Shradha found his eyes darkening and lips curling up into something dark and vicious that she couldn't put a name to. It looked horrifying and she felt her entire body shake underneath his grasp. The cold wind of May was violent that night, matching up with the mood of her husband.

"Why would I do that, my wife?"

Shradha never left his eyes, the darkness that encircled around his iris were proof of the sins he carried. The sins that she soon would also be stained with.

"Mrinal told me that my existence here depends on my ability to provide you an heir. I . . . I have. . . failed to do that."

He listened carefully, giving her space and time to tell him everything she wanted. Shradha laughed at her own self in her mind. He must be giving her time to say all that she needed one last time before she dies.

"And I have. . .killed a part of you without your knowledge." She bowed her head down. If he murdered people in the daylight, she killed an unborn child. To her, that felt like a much greater sin than any of the ones he had done. Guilt ate her up to a point that if it was death for her tonight, she would happily accept it from his hands.

"I do not think. . . I am of any use to you now. My kidnapping has caused. . . much damage as well. If I live any longer, it will only be a burden for you.  So this seems fair." She wanted to wipe down the shameful tears that rolled down her cheeks but she didn't. For once she wanted to be all transparent in front of him. She was done masking her emotions and filtering her thoughts with him.

"Are you done?" He asked throwing away his ciggerate and exhaling out the last bit of smoke.

Shradha nodded while sobbing.

"Tell me Shradha, what made you marry me?" He hands tugged at her hair, making her head tilt up to him.

"To save myself."

"And what did I offer?" He asked once again, not missing a beat. It felt like an interrogation.

"Pleasure and protection."

"Would dying give you either of that?" His other hand was carefully placed behind her waist, securing her from falling down.

"No."

"Then," he tugged her hair harder making her grasp out in pain. With gritted teeth, he asked, "Why the fuck would I kill my wife, who I'm supposed to protect with my life, huh?"

Shradha shuddered at the impact of his voice that she almost fell backwards but his hands held her still. With wide eyes filled with tears, she looked up at him and for the first time she was seeing something other than anger in his eyes.

Affection.

He was breathing heavy and Shradha knew that anger was pulsing through his veins. For some reason she hated seeing him like that. So she did what her feminine instinct told her to do.

She hugged him. Tight and sound, so close that both their breathing became even and in sync. He lifted her up from the railing and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Like a child, he carried her to bed.

Words weren't exchanged after that. He was proving what he can offer her that night.

Pleasure and protection!